PHOENIX AZ-- Mountain Pointe, hot off a 65-0 win against Cibola, looks to defeat Highland to move onto the semifinals to face either Perry or Hamilton.

However, Highland looks to be a much bigger challenge for the Pride, with their first meeting this season back in early October was decided by just one point.

Quarterback for Mountain Pointe Nick Wallerstedt knows this very well.

 “We knew that this Cibola team wasn’t (like) Highland,” Wallerstedt said. “Our last game against Highland we kind of struggled so we’ve got to take them serious.”

The Pride were able to get a lot of players experience in the shutout against the Raiders last week, as nine separate players were able to carry the ball through the course of the game.

Mountain Pointe head coach Norris Vaughan said that the ability to get extra guys in the game was great for everyone involved.

“It’s good for health, it’s good for morale,” Vaughan said.

He also mentioned that his team is as healthy as it has been all season and that they’re going to be able to play guys that never saw the field in the squads first encounter with Highland.

Shomari Hayes, senior defensive lineman for Mountain Pointe, also knows that any game from here on out could very well cap his high school career.

A reality that he says helps him take every snap seriously.

“This is my senior year. I’m trying to do something that I couldn’t do my past two years,” Hayes said. “Win state.”

The Mountain Pointe Pride host the Highland Hawks on Friday Nov. 9 in hopes of advancing to the semifinal playoff game.